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Reddish



 
 
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centered around the town of Stockport....
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. It is north of Stockport
Stockport

Stockport is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers River Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, southeast of the city of Manchester....
 and southeast of Manchester
Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
. The population is 30,055 in an area of 7.08 square kilometres (2.73 mi²).

Historically
Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxons kingdoms and shires....
 a part of Lancashire
Lancashire

Lancashire is a Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England of Historic counties of England in the North West England of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
, Reddish grew and developed rapidly during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
 and still retains landmarks from that period, such as Houldsworth Mill
Houldsworth Mill, Reddish

Houldsworth Mill , also known as Reddish Mill, is a former Mill in built in 1865 in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for William Houldsworth, a prominent mill owner at the time....
, a former textile mill
Cotton mill

A cotton mill is a factory housing spinning and weaving machinery. Cotton was a leading sector in the Industrial Revolution, as cotton spinning was mechanised in mills....
. Today Reddish is a predominantly residential area, seeing a renewed period of growth and development as residents from nearby affluent areas such as Heaton Moor
Heaton Moor

Heaton Moor is one of the Four Heatons located in Stockport. It borders on Heaton Chapel, Heaton Norris and Heaton Mersey. Heaton Moor is characterised by the affluent Victorian Housing built between 1852 and 1892 along tree lined streets which follow the field patterns of a former agricultural economy....
 and Heaton Mersey
Heaton Mersey

Heaton Mersey is situated north west of Stockport, England on the border with Didsbury and Burnage. Heaton Mersey village is a conservation area....
 look to Reddish as a way of affording housing.

Reddish Vale
Reddish Vale

Reddish Vale is a loosely defined area in the River Tame, Greater Manchester valley close to Reddish in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England....
 is a country park
Country park

A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment....
 close to the locality and home to local businesses.

ish is recorded as Redich (1205, 1212), Redych, Radich (1226), Radish, Rediche (1262), Redditch (1381), Redwyche, Radishe and Reddishe (1500s).






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Encyclopedia


Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centered around the town of Stockport....
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. It is north of Stockport
Stockport

Stockport is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers River Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, southeast of the city of Manchester....
 and southeast of Manchester
Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
. The population is 30,055 in an area of 7.08 square kilometres (2.73 mi²).

Historically
Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxons kingdoms and shires....
 a part of Lancashire
Lancashire

Lancashire is a Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England of Historic counties of England in the North West England of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
, Reddish grew and developed rapidly during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
 and still retains landmarks from that period, such as Houldsworth Mill
Houldsworth Mill, Reddish

Houldsworth Mill , also known as Reddish Mill, is a former Mill in built in 1865 in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for William Houldsworth, a prominent mill owner at the time....
, a former textile mill
Cotton mill

A cotton mill is a factory housing spinning and weaving machinery. Cotton was a leading sector in the Industrial Revolution, as cotton spinning was mechanised in mills....
. Today Reddish is a predominantly residential area, seeing a renewed period of growth and development as residents from nearby affluent areas such as Heaton Moor
Heaton Moor

Heaton Moor is one of the Four Heatons located in Stockport. It borders on Heaton Chapel, Heaton Norris and Heaton Mersey. Heaton Moor is characterised by the affluent Victorian Housing built between 1852 and 1892 along tree lined streets which follow the field patterns of a former agricultural economy....
 and Heaton Mersey
Heaton Mersey

Heaton Mersey is situated north west of Stockport, England on the border with Didsbury and Burnage. Heaton Mersey village is a conservation area....
 look to Reddish as a way of affording housing.

Reddish Vale
Reddish Vale

Reddish Vale is a loosely defined area in the River Tame, Greater Manchester valley close to Reddish in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England....
 is a country park
Country park

A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment....
 close to the locality and home to local businesses.

History


Toponymy

Reddish is recorded as Redich (1205, 1212), Redych, Radich (1226), Radish, Rediche (1262), Redditch (1381), Redwyche, Radishe and Reddishe (1500s). The name either means "reedy ditch" (OE
Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
 hreod-dic) or "red ditch" (OE read-dic). Ekwall (1922) allows either form, stating "red" is less probable; Mills (1991) and Arrowsmith (1997) only give the "reed" option. The ditch referred to is possibly the Nico Ditch
Nico Ditch

Nico Ditch is a six mile long linear Earthworks running between Ashton-under-Lyne and Stretford in Greater Manchester, England. It may have been dug as a defensive fortification, but more likely it was intended to be a boundary marker....
, an earthwork of uncertain origin bordering Reddish, Manchester and Denton. Folklore has it that the names Gorton
Gorton

Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester City Centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme....
 and Reddish arose from a battle between Saxons and Danes. John Higson wrote in 1852

The neigh’ring trench is called the Nicker Ditch
Flowing with blood, it did the name convey
To th’ bordering hamlet, Red-Ditch. Near here, Where
the last ‘tween the foes was fought,
Where victory was won, that memorable
Eminence proudly was distinguished
By the name of Winning Hill. The streamlet
Aforemention’d gains appellation
Of Gore Brook, also the contiguous
Happy hamlet through which it floweth still
Bears, in glorious commemoration,
And e’er shall, the honour’d name of Gore Town.


Farrer and Brownbill dismiss this interpretation as "popular fancy".

1066 to late 18th century

Reddish Hall
Reddish does not appear in the Domesday survey
Domesday Book

The Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror....
; this is in common with most of the then southeast Lancashire area. A corn mill is known to have existed at the junction of Denton Brook and the River Tame from about 1400 onwards. The two main mediaeval houses were Reddish Hall at (demolished 1780, but visible on maps dated 1840) and Hulme Hall at , later known as Broadstone, then Broadstone Hall (demolished 1945). The Reddish family were major landowners in the area from at least 1212 to 1613 when title passed by marriage to the Coke family. It passed down the family to Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester who sold his land in Reddish at the end of the 18th century, and in 1808 it was bought by Robert Hyde Greg
Robert Hyde Greg

Robert Hyde Greg , was an England industrialist, economics and antiquary.Born in Manchester, the son of Samuel Greg, the creator of Quarry Bank Mill, he was brother to William Rathbone Greg and the junior Samuel Greg ....
 and John Greg. There were Hulmes in Reddish in the 13th century, and the land passed through the family until about 1700 when it was given to a charitable trust.

Very few buildings in Reddish pre-date the nineteenth century. Canal Bridge Farm, close to Broadstone Mill, is dated to the mid to late 18th century (the name is later). Hartwell dates a small group of farm buildings and cottages at Shores Fold, near the junction of Nelstrop Road and Marbury Road, to the sixteenth and late seventeenth to early eighteenth century. These would have been on the traditional Reddish – Heaton Norris border, but are now firmly inside Heaton Chapel.

Industrial Revolution

The Stockport Branch Canal
Stockport Branch Canal

The Stockport Branch Canal was a 5 mile branch of the Ashton Canal from Clayton, Manchester to Stockport...
 passed through Reddish and opened in 1797. It seems to have had little effect by 1825, when Corry's description of Reddish, in full, was "The population of Reddish is but thin". Booker states that in 1857 Reddish was almost entirely agricultural, being made of meadow and pasture (1320 acres); arable land (90 acres); wood and water (50 acres); and buildings and streets (44 acres). At that time, Reddish contained "neither post-office, schoolmaster, lawyer, doctor, nor pawnshop". The population increased over tenfold in the next fifty years with the Industrial Revolution.

The water-powered calico printworks in Reddish Vale on the River Tame
River Tame, Greater Manchester

The River Tame is a river in Greater Manchester, England....
 is known to have been working before 1800. Industrial development followed the line of the canal and was steam-powered throughout. A variety of manufacturers moved into Reddish during this period.

Robert Hyde Greg and John Greg, sons of Samuel Greg of Quarry Bank Mill
Quarry Bank Mill

Quarry Bank Mill is an historic factory in Cheshire, England, one of the best preserved of the Industrial Revolution and is now a museum of the cotton industry....
, who owned about a third of Reddish by 1857, opened Albert Mills for cotton spinning in 1845. Moor Mill, manufacturing knitting machines, was built around the same time. William Houldsworth’s Reddish Mill
Houldsworth Mill, Reddish

Houldsworth Mill , also known as Reddish Mill, is a former Mill in built in 1865 in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for William Houldsworth, a prominent mill owner at the time....
 for cotton spinning was opened in 1864. Hanover Mill was built in 1865 for cotton spinning, but in 1889 was converted to make silk, velvet, woven fur etc.

The Reddish Spinning Company, partly owned by Houldsworth, opened in 1870. Furnival’s steelworks, making printing presses, opened in 1877. Andrew’s Gas Engine works opened in 1878. The Manchester Guardian’s printworks opened in 1899. Craven Bothers’ engineering works, making cranes, opened in 1900. Broadstone Spinning Company opened a large double mill in 1906/7. These major employers were accompanied by numerous smaller concerns, including dyeworks, bleachworks, wire ropeworks, brickworks, screw manufacturers, makers of surveying equipment, and a tobacco factory.

A small number of closures of major industrial employers took place in the first half of the twentieth century, due to the ebb and flow of trade. Andrews Gas Engine Works was taken over in 1905 by Richard Hornsby & Sons
Richard Hornsby & Sons

Richard Hornsby & Sons was an engine and machinery manufacturer in Lincolnshire, England from 1828 until 1918....
 of Grantham
Grantham

Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It stands athwart the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham, 24 miles south-southwest of the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire....
, the business was transferred to Grantham and the Reddish works closed some time during the great depression
Great Depression

File:International depression.pngThe Great Depression was a worldwide economic Recession starting in most places in 1929 and ending at different times in the 1930s or early 1940s for different countries....
 following WWI
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. Cronin indicates that the works were still in operation in 1930. The Atlas wire rope works closed in 1927.

Reddish took its share of the decline in Lancashire cotton production and finishing. Broadstone Mills ceased production in 1959; Reddish Mills closed in 1958 with the loss of 350-400 jobs; Spur Mill followed in 1972; and the long-lived Reddish Vale printworks closed by 1975; Albert Mill continued to trade as R. Greg and co under new ownership, but finally closed in 1982. Ashmore wrote in 1975 that "Stockport has ceased to be a cotton town."

The decline of Broadstone Mills was accompanied by high farce. In November 1958 the company sold a number of spinning mules as scrap for just over £3,000. By agreement, the machines remained in the mill over the winter. A small number had been broken and removed by April 1959, when the government announced a compensation package for firms that agreed to scrap spinning capacity. As the title in the mules had passed to the scrapman, it was decided that the company was not entitled to compensation amounting to over £60,000, despite the fact that the machinery was still on its premises. Actions in the High Court
High Court of Justice

The High Court of Justice is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, part of the Courts of England and Wales ....
 and the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the Courts of England and Wales, with only the Judicial functions of the House of Lords above it....
 in 1965 were fruitless.

Some of the mills vacated by the spinners found other uses. The Reddish Spinning Company's mill was taken over by Friedland who became the world's largest manufacture of doorbells; an extension to the mill won several architectural awards. The mill is now residential. Broadstone Mill was partly demolished, but now houses small commercial units. Regeneration efforts at Houldsworth Mill were instrumental in Stockport Council winning British Urban Regeneration Association's award for best practice in regeneration. £12 million has been spent to convert the mill into mixed use. The area around Houldsworth mill is now designated as a conservation area.

Brewing, pubs and clubs

Reddish has been home to at least three breweries. Richard Clarke & Co brewed in the area for over 100 years, before being taken over, and later closed, by Boddingtons
Boddingtons

Boddingtons is a brand of beer, originally from Manchester in North West England, that has been brewed for more than 200 years. The bitter is now sold in over 30 countries worldwide, and can be drunk on draught beer around the world in countries as diverse as New Zealand, China, the United States, and Canada....
 in 1962. David Pollard's eponymous brewery opened in the former print works in Reddish Vale in 1975, moving out to Bredbury in 1978; the business went into liquidation in 1982. The small 3 Rivers Brewery has been brewing in Reddish since August 2003.

The pub stock is not well-regarded: "Never offering the best selection of pubs in the borough, it is now easily the worst area for real ale availability ..." is a typical description. It has been suggested that this may be a consequence of Robert Hyde Greg
Robert Hyde Greg

Robert Hyde Greg , was an England industrialist, economics and antiquary.Born in Manchester, the son of Samuel Greg, the creator of Quarry Bank Mill, he was brother to William Rathbone Greg and the junior Samuel Greg ....
's disapproval of alcohol, (due to the alcoholism of an uncle of his father, see also Samuel Greg
Samuel Greg

Samuel Greg was a United Kingdom entrepreneur and pioneer of the factory system at Quarry Bank Mill.He was born in Belfast, Ireland as the third son of a successful merchant....
). Of the nine pubs in Reddish, three are currently closed and boarded up.

The pubs are supplemented by several working men's
Working men's club

Working men's clubs are a type of private Social clubs founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of Great Britain, particularly the North of England, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families....
 and political clubs. The Houldsworth WMC was awarded a blue plaque
Blue plaque

In the United Kingdom, a blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event....
 by Stockport MBC in December 2006. Reddish WMC was founded by in 1845 by millowner Robert Hyde Greg as a Mechanics Institute and Library. Its members claim it to be the oldest club registered with the CIU
Working Men's Club and Institute Union

The Working Men's Club and Institute Union is a voluntary association of private members' clubs in Great Britain & Northern Ireland, with about 3,000 associate clubs....
.

Governance

The extents have been well-defined for at least several hundred years. Reddish was a township in the ancient parish of Manchester
Manchester (ancient parish)

Manchester was an ancient ecclesiastical parish of the Salford , in Lancashire, England. It encompassed several township and chapelries, including the then Manchester Township ....
, but lay outside the Manor of Manchester. This had the effect that boundaries of Reddish were described by the boundaries of the Manor of Manchester, with the exception of that with Cheshire
Cheshire

Cheshire is a Counties of England in North West England. The county town, and the location of the county council, is the City status in the United Kingdom of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town in terms of area and population is Warrington....
, which was the River Tame
River Tame, Greater Manchester

The River Tame is a river in Greater Manchester, England....
. The manor boundaries were surveyed and recorded in 1322, and the relevant part was:

following the said water [Tame] to the mid [stream] between the county of Chester and Assheton unto the Mereclowe at Redyshe so following Mereclowe unto Saltergate, from thence following the ditch of Redyshe unto Mikeldiche, following that unto Peyfyngate, following that unto Le Turrepittes between Heton Norreyes and Redishe, from thence following Le Merebroke unto the confluence of the waters of Tame and Mersey


"Mere
Mere

Mere may refer to:* Mere , a lake that is broad in relation to its depth* Mere , a Maori war club* Mere by Norweigan rock band deLillos* Ain-Ervin Mere , Estonian war criminal...
" means boundary in this context. The description was traced into early twentieth century features by Crofton and can be cast as

following the middle of the Tame as far as Denton Brook at Reddish; and so following Denton Brook and a tributary as far as Thornley Lane South; and then following Thornley Lane as far as Nico Ditch; and following Nelstrop Road as far as the turf-pits between Heaton Norris and Reddish (these are lost); and from there following Black Brook as far as near the conjunction of the waters of the Tame and Goyt.


However, Black Brook cannot be le Merebroke as it does not flow to the Tame, but joins Cringle Brook, which flows into the Mersey several miles away via Chorlton Brook. With this exception, Crofton’s interpretation of the 1322 boundaries matches those shown on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government. It is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, and one of the world's largest producers of maps....
 maps of the 1800s.

Reddish became an urban district
Urban district

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
 in 1894. By 1901 the neighbouring County Borough of Stockport
County Borough of Stockport

Stockport was a local government district centred on Stockport in the northwest of England from 1835 to 1974.The district was created by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 when the existing Borough of Stockport was reformed as a municipal borough....
 had effectively run out of land, and was overflowing into abutting districts. In 1901, after petitioning the Local Government Board
Local Government Board

The Local Government Board was a British Government supervisory body overseeing local administration in England and Wales from 1871 to 1919.The LGB was created by the Local Government Board Act 1871 and took over the public health and local government responsibilities of the Home Secretary and the Privy Council and all the functions...
, Stockport expanded into several areas including the whole of Reddish, described by Arrowsmith as Stockport's "greatest prize". Stockport gained Reddish’s tax income
Rates (tax)

Rates are a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, used to fund local government....
 and building land, and in return Reddish received several civic amenities. A council school opened in 1907, and a combined fire station, free library, and baths opened in stages during 1908 (Cronin identifies a small building at the rear as a mortuary). The council opened new municipal parks at Mid Reddish (on land presented by Houldsworth) and at South Reddish. A park at North Reddish followed, described in 1932 as “recently laid out, provid(ing) a number of horticultural features combined with recreation facilities, and illustrat(ing) the layout of a modern recreation park”. At that time, the Stockport Canal and the Reddish Iron Works made up two of the park’s boundaries.

The separate civil parish was merged into Stockport parish in 1935. Reddish's position north of the Tame means it was historically
Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxons kingdoms and shires....
 part of Lancashire
Lancashire

Lancashire is a Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England of Historic counties of England in the North West England of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea....
. On the merger with Stockport in 1901 the boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire was moved to place it in Cheshire. In 1974 Stockport and several adjacient territories became a unified metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough

A metropolitan borough is a type of districts of England in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted royal charters to give them borough status in...
 in the newly-created metropolitan county
Metropolitan county

The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million....
 of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
.

Parliamentary representation

Reddish is located in the parliamentary constituency of Denton and Reddish. Andrew Gwynne
Andrew Gwynne

Andrew John Gwynne is the Labour Party Member of Parliament for the Denton and Reddish constituency. He was elected at the UK general election, 2005, replacing the retiring Andrew Bennett....
 (Labour
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
) has represented the seat since the 2005 General Election, and the seat has been in Labour hands since its creation. The seat rose briefly to national prominence in April 2006, when Joan Howarth, a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
 candidate in local elections, suggested that a black or Asian Conservative parliamentary candidate "wouldn't work", because of the "traditional working class" electorate. David Cameron
David Cameron

David William Donald Cameron is the current leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom. He has occupied both positions since December of 2005....
, the leader of the Conservative Party, disowned the comments, saying that the candidate was in "the wrong party". At the 2005 general election, Gwynne attracted 57.4% of the votes cast, and the second-placed candidate 19.3%.

North and South Reddish each return three councillors to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. This includes the constituencies of Stockport , Hazel Grove , Cheadle and the Reddish area of the Denton and Reddish constituency....
. At May 2007 these were , , and (Reddish North); , , and (Reddish South). All six belong to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
.

Geography

Reddish Lamppost
Reddish borders Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel

Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor to the west, Reddish and Heaton Norris to the east and Heaton Mersey to the west and south....
 and Brinnington
Brinnington

Brinnington is a north-eastern suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester.It is situated on a bluff above a bend in the River Tame, Yorkshire and is an area of vast regeneration, it consists mainly of council house including High-rise flats....
 of Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centered around the town of Stockport....
, Denton
Denton, Greater Manchester

Denton is a town within the Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is six miles to the east of Manchester City Centre, and has a population of 34,280....
 of Tameside
Tameside

The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame, Greater Manchester which flows through the borough and consists of the nine towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Greater Manchester, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Greater Manchester, Mottram in...
, and Gorton
Gorton

Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester City Centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme....
 and Levenshulme
Levenshulme

Levenshulme is an urban area of the Manchester, in North West England England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage and Stockport, and is approximately from Manchester City Centre on the A6 road ....
 of the City of Manchester.

Reddish is a densely populated area and is close to some of the richest parts of the country (such as Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge

Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,409, whilst the district ward "Alderley Edge" had a population of 4,408....
 in Cheshire
Cheshire

Cheshire is a Counties of England in North West England. The county town, and the location of the county council, is the City status in the United Kingdom of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town in terms of area and population is Warrington....
). However, in common with many urban areas of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Reddish suffers from a certain degree of crime-related activity. Despite this, Reddish continues to be an attraction to many people in the Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
 area to work, live and relax.

Climate

Reddish has a mild climate.The main population is situated along a linear stretch parallel with Reddish Vale.Reddish vale and the lower lying land in the valley is often cooler and effectively a 'frost pocket'. Albeit still mild comparatively speaking, temperatures on a clear night will likely be colder than the land at the top of valley floor or roughly speaking along Reddish Road/Gorton Road. The effects of a Fohn Wind are often present here, where the Warm air rises from the valley floor,tempering the air at the top and thereby reducing overnight lows, more particularly in winter.

As a comparison, Temperatures on any given clear night throughout the year, can be between 1-3 degrees C warmer than the Manchester weather station, situated in nearby Woodford Aerodrome in Cheshire, near to Bramhall but on a cloudy night are almost equal.Daytime highs are pretty similar, and predominately almost exacting to 'Woodford', though fluctuations due to localised weather patterns can produce variations.

Again, on a cloudy day the temperatures can be slightly cooler than Woodford.Though, dependant on the prevailing weather patterns and the wind direction can be either lower by around 1 degree C and occasionally (more noticeably on a warm sunny day)and in the absence of early morning mist/fogs(common in Woodford and Reddish Vale) can be up to 2 degrees C warmer than Woodford.

Due to its Suburban nature and geographical location, close to the municipal centres of Stockport and Manchester, it benefits from an 'urban heat island' effect.

Most of Reddish would be equivalent to Usda Zone 8B/9A in recent years and with the influence of global warming, with typical annual minimum lows of around -5/-6C.

Summer High temperatures average around 20-21C and peak at around 28C in any given year, occasionally to around 32C. With overnight lows, averaging around 12-14C typically.

Winter High temperatures average around 6-9C. Winter overnight lows, typically average around 3C.

Many tender plants can grow here and in the Stockport/Manchester area in general and the municipal planting consists of much New Zealand flora, such as Phormiums and Cordylines and Mediterranean plantings such as European Fan Palms and Canary Island date palms and Yuccas in residential gardens are commonplace.

Weather data specifically for South Reddish can be found here : http://www.everyoneweb.com/palmsnexotics/

Demography


The most recent data is from the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
. The census data below is based on the North Reddish and South Reddish wards. The modern South Reddish ward contains a small area that was traditionally part of Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel

Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor to the west, Reddish and Heaton Norris to the east and Heaton Mersey to the west and south....
 and Heaton Norris
Heaton Norris

Heaton Norris is now a mainly residential area of Stockport, England bordering on Heaton Chapel,Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor. Formerly it was the name of the parish, that included Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor and was in Lancashire....
, and some of Reddish has been transferred to Heaton Chapel.

White British is the predominant ethnicity
Ethnic groups of the United Kingdom

People from various ethnic groups reside in the United Kingdom. For most of the last millennium, the lands now constituting the United Kingdom were largely inhabited by English people, Scottish people, Irish people, Welsh people and Cornish people....
. For the North Reddish ward, just under 97% of the population of 16120 were identified as white (including Irish
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 and other white), 1.48% as mixed-race, 0.73% as black, 0.6% as Chinese, and 0.43% as Asian. For the South Reddish ward, just under 96% of the population of 13935 were identified as White, 1.28% as mixed race, 1.28% as Asian, 0.86% as Black, and 0.84% as Chinese.

The housing stock remains mainly terraced and semi-detached. For the North Reddish ward, the 6914 housing units were divided into 8% detached house, 46% semi-detached, 36% terraced, and 10% flats. For the South Reddish ward, the 6598 housing units were divided into 5% detached house, 29% semi-detached, 44% terraced, and 22% flats. There are no tower block
Tower block

A tower block, block of flats, or apartment block, is a multi-unit high-rise apartment building. In some areas they may be referred to as MDU standing for Multi Dwelling Unit....
s in Reddish, unlike several neighbouring areas.

Some housing built by factory owners for their employees remains. Greg Street, Birkdale Road, and Broadstone Hall Road South have mid-nineteenth century terraces built by the Gregs for the workers at their (demolished) Victoria and Albert Mills. Furnival Street was built in 1886 to house workers at the (demolished) Furnival’s ironworks The largest collection is that built by Houldsworth near to his Reddish Mill, even though only Liverpool Street and Houldsworth Street remain after clearance in about 1974. The houses on Houldsworth Street, directly facing the mill, are grander, and would have been for the higher placed workers.

Economy

The shopping area around Houldsworth Square contains about eighty small shops and has been chosen as one of eight areas to benefit from the Agora Project an EU
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
-funded project to reverse the decline in local shopping areas.

Stockport MBC describes Reddish as one of the eight major district centres in the borough that offer "local history, modern convenient facilities and traditional high street retailing". The other seven are Bramhall
Bramhall

Bramhall is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of around 55,953....
, Cheadle
Cheadle, Greater Manchester

Cheadle is a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It borders the districts of Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Hazel Grove, Bramhall, and Edgeley in Stockport, and the Didsbury area of Manchester....
, Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme

Cheadle Hulme is a suburban area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Ladybrook Valley, and is southwest of Stockport and southeast of the city of Manchester....
, Edgeley
Edgeley

Edgeley is a working-class residential area within the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The suburb is characterised largely by Victorian close-packed terraced housing....
, Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove

Hazel Grove is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located close to the Peak District national park....
, Marple
Marple, Greater Manchester

Marple is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Goyt southeast of Stockport....
, and Romiley
Romiley

Romiley is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders Marple, Greater Manchester, Bredbury and Woodley, Greater Manchester....
.

Reddish is home to many tertiary services. Houldsworth square (named after local Victorian era
Victorian era

The Victorian Era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the period of Victoria of the United Kingdom reign from June 1837 to January 1901....
 mill-owner, William Houldsworth) has many shops and banks, serving the local population. There are also many well-performing schools such as Reddish Vale Technology College
Reddish Vale Technology College

Reddish Vale Technology College is a school in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England.It is a Technology College and has been awarded the Artsmark Gold Award from the Arts Council of England....
 in South Reddish, which in 2006 became the only school in Greater Manchester to be announced by the Government as a 'Trust Pathfinder' school. It is served by two railway stations Reddish North
Reddish North railway station

Reddish North railway station is the busier of the two stations serving Reddish, in Stockport, England. The other station in the town is Reddish South railway station which has a very limited service....
 and Reddish South
Reddish South railway station

Reddish South is a station in Reddish, Stockport, England, on the Stockport-Stalybridge Line, famous for having only one train a week in one direction....
, the latter being used mainly for freight services, apart from the once-a-week "Parliamentary train
Parliamentary train

A Parliamentary train , or Parly, is nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station in question or, in some cases, the whole line is in fact open, whereas in reality the train operating co...
" to Stalybridge
Stalybridge

Stalybridge is a town within the Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the northwest of Glossop, to the east of Manchester and to the north of Stockport....
.

Affluence

There are several measures of overall wealth and poverty. The Human Poverty Index
Human Poverty Index

The Human Poverty Index is an indication of the standard of living in a country, developed by the United Nations . For highly developed countries, the UN considers that it can better reflect the extent of Poverty compared to the Human Development Index ....
 calculates a value based on longevity, literacy, unemployment, and income. High values indicate increasing poverty. The parliamentary constituency scores 14.4, close to the UK average of 14.8. This compares well with neighbours Manchester Gorton
Manchester Gorton (UK Parliament constituency)

Manchester Gorton is a United Kingdom constituencies in the city of Manchester, represented in the British House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
 (20.5) and Stockport
Stockport (UK Parliament constituency)

Stockport is a borough constituency represented in the British House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
 (14.2), but poorly with the other Stockport constituencies of Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove (UK Parliament constituency)

Hazel Grove is a constituency represented in the British House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
 (10.9) and Cheadle, placed third best in the UK with a value of 7.9.

On a narrower level, the estimated household weekly income for the period April 2001 to March 2002 for North & South Reddish wards was £440 and £400 respectively. In comparison with nearby wards, this is higher than Gorton North, Gorton South and Brinnington (at £350, £330, and £340), slightly lower than Denton West (£480), and significantly lower than Heaton Moor and Heaton Mersey (£590). The averages for the North-West region and the UK were £489 and £554 respectively (2001–4).

Landmarks

Reddish is home to several listed buildings and structures. All the Grade I and Grade II* listsings are part of Houldsworth's community.

  • Grade I
  • St. Elisabeth's church & wall at St. Elisabeth's Church (Grade II*)


  • Grade II*
  • Houldsworth Mill
    Houldsworth Mill, Reddish

    Houldsworth Mill , also known as Reddish Mill, is a former Mill in built in 1865 in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for William Houldsworth, a prominent mill owner at the time....
    , Houldsworth Street. Designed by Abraham Henthorn Stott. Opened 1860s, closed as a cotton mill 1958.
  • Houldsworth Working Men's Club, Leamington Road. Designed by Abraham Henthorn Stott. Opened 16 May 1874.
  • St Elisabeth's C of E Primary School (Houldsworth School), Liverpool Street. Wall at St. Elisabeth's C of E Primary School, Liverpool Street. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse. Consecrated 1883.
  • St. Elisabeth's Church Rectory & wall at St. Elisabeth's Church Rectory, Liverpool Street. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse.


  • Grade II
  • Broadstone Mill House, Broadstone Road
  • Clock and drinking fountain, Houldsworth Square
  • North Reddish Infant & Junior School, Lewis Road
  • Tame Viaduct, Reddish Vale
    Reddish Vale

    Reddish Vale is a loosely defined area in the River Tame, Greater Manchester valley close to Reddish in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England....
  • 40 Sandy Lane
  • Shoresfold Farmhouse and numbers 2 & 4 Marbury Road

Transport


The B6167 is the main road through Reddish. It allows access to the A57
A57 road

The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln, England, via Warrington, Irlam, Eccles, Greater Manchester, Salford and Manchester, then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass , around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop....
 for Manchester or the M60
M60 motorway

The M60 motorway is an beltway motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and Metropolitan Borough of Bolton....
/M67
M67 motorway

The M67 is a five mile urban motorway in Greater Manchester, England which heads east from the M60 motorway passing through Denton, Greater Manchester and Hyde, Greater Manchester before ending near Mottram....
 junction at the north, and to Stockport and the M60 to the south. It was designated a Quality Bus Corridor
Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit is a broad term given to a variety of transportation systems that, through improvements to infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling, attempt to use buses to provide a service that is of a higher quality than an ordinary bus line....
 in 2004 and a number of modifications made. As of 2006, any improvements have not been quantified. The main bus route runs from Stockport via Reddish and Gorton to Manchester. Less-frequent services run to Ashton
Ashton-under-Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Tame, Greater Manchester, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines....
 via Gorton & Droylsden
Droylsden

Droylsden is a town within the Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated to the east of Manchester city centre, and west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172....
, Ashton via Denton, Manchester via Didsbury
Didsbury

Didsbury is a suburban area of the Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area....
 and Rusholme
Rusholme

Rusholme is a part of Manchester, in North West England England, about two miles south of Manchester city centre.Rusholme is home to the Curry Mile - a focused stretch of South Asian restaurants....
, Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove

Hazel Grove is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located close to the Peak District national park....
, and Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe

Wythenshawe is a district in the south of the City of Manchester in North West England.Until 1931 the district formed a part of the Administrative counties of England of Cheshire....
. Trains from Reddish North station run to Manchester Piccadilly and New Mills
New Mills Central railway station

New Mills Central railway station serves the town of New Mills in Derbyshire, England. It is on the Hope Valley Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield railway station....
, with some trains continuing to Sheffield
Sheffield Midland station

Sheffield station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a train station and tram stop in central Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, northern England....
. Reddish South station does not provide a significant service. A few dedicated cycle routes cross the area.

Canal

The Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal

The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in Northern England....
 and the Stockport Branch Canal were built to join Manchester and Stockport to the coal mines in Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Tame, Greater Manchester, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines....
. The branch was dependent on the main for its utility, and hence its planning, passing through parliament, and construction came after that of the main. The main opened in 1796 and the branch in 1796. The branch was just under five miles (8 km) long, and left the Ashton Canal at Clayton, passed through Gorton and Reddish, and terminated just over the boundary in Heaton Norris, adjacent to what was then the main turnpike between Manchester and Stockport. The Beat Bank Branch Canal
Beat Bank Branch Canal

The Beat Bank Branch Canal was to leave the Stockport Branch Canal in South Reddish and it was to be lock free but with a short tunnel. It was to follow the contour above the right bank of the River Tame, Yorkshire, firstly in a northerly direction and then easterly as it followed the meandering course of the river upstream....
 was planned as a sub-branch and was intended to cross Reddish Vale to a colliery at Denton, but the scheme was abandoned by 1798. By 1827 the canal was bringing coal to Stockport from as far as Norbury
Norbury, Greater Manchester

Norbury is a locality in Greater Manchester, England. It formed a civil parish in Cheshire from 1866 to 1900 and now forms part of the Hazel Grove area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport....
 and Poynton
Poynton

Poynton is a village in the civil parish of Poynton with Worth, located in the Macclesfield , in Cheshire. It lies north from Macclesfield and south of Stockport....
.

The canal was purchased by the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway in 1848. Traffic declined and the canal was described as derelict as early as 1922. Commercial traffic ceased in the 1930s and the canal was declared officially closed in 1962 and filled in.

Turnpike

The road currently designated the B6167 (Sandy Lane, Reddish Road, Gorton Road, and Reddish Lane) was turnpiked by the Manchester, Denton and Stockport Trust following an Act of 1818.

Rail

The history of the development of rail infrastructure in the UK is complicated, with lines and stations being built by a myriad of railway companies and joint ventures. Routes did not always follow the best path, but were created, altered, or blocked through lobbying of parliament by interested parties intent on protecting their interests and preventing competition. Due to their strategic position between Manchester and London, Stockport and Reddish played their parts. Reddish played host to three railway lines, two railway stations, and a traction depot. To improve readability, the names of the stations and lines are the latest (or last) used.

Reddish South
The West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line

The West Coast Main Line is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. It is central to the provision of fast, long-distance Intercity passenger services between London, the West Midlands , the North West England, North Wales and southern Scotland....
 running between Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station

Manchester Piccadilly station, known locally as just Piccadilly, is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. It serves intercity routes to Euston railway station, Birmingham New Street railway station, Cardiff Central railway station and the south, Edinburgh Waverley railway station, Glasgow Central railway station, and r...
 and London via Crewe
Crewe railway station

Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents....
 was opened in 1840-2 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway
Manchester and Birmingham Railway

The Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway....
 (M&B), crossing the Mersey
River Mersey

The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside....
 valley on a large viaduct at Stockport. In 1849 a line was opened from the north side of the viaduct via Reddish South
Reddish South railway station

Reddish South is a station in Reddish, Stockport, England, on the Stockport-Stalybridge Line, famous for having only one train a week in one direction....
 and Denton stations
Denton railway station

Denton railway station is a station in Denton, Greater Manchester, on the Stockport railway station-Stalybridge railway station line, famous for having one train a week in one direction only , christened the "Denton Flyer"....
 to join the Woodhead Line
Woodhead Line

The Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels....
 (Piccadilly to Sheffield) of the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway

The Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was an early United Kingdom railway company which opened in stages between 1841 and 1845 between Sheffield and Manchester via Ashton-Under-Lyne....
 (SA&MR) at Guide Bridge
Guide Bridge railway station

Guide Bridge railway station serves Guide Bridge a part of Audenshaw, Tameside in Greater Manchester, England and is operated by Northern Rail. The station is 6 km east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Glossop Line....
. A short branch went to Denton Colliery. The station at Reddish South contained a large goods yard, and trade through the station played an important role, alongside the canal, in the industrialisation of the area.

The M&B became part of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway

The London and North Western Railway was a railway company of the United Kingdom which existed between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three railway companies - the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, and is effectively an ancestor of today's West Coast Main L...
 (LNWR) by 1849: the SA&MR became part of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway

The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed, by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its Great Central Main Line....
 (MS&L) in 1847. At this stage both companies used Piccadilly as their Manchester terminus. The LNWR held a monoply on the important London route.

Reddish North
In 1862 the MS&L built a line from Hyde Junction
Hyde North railway station

Hyde North railway station lies north of Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. Hyde North is operated by Northern Rail.Originally "Hyde Junction", opened in 1863, it was at the junction between the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway extension to New Mills Central railway station, ....
 to near Compstall
Compstall

Compstall is a small village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England, between Marple Bridge and Romiley. It was formerly a mill village, built by George Andrew in the 1820s to house his 800 workers....
 on the River Goyt
River Goyt

The River Goyt is a river in North West England. It is one of the tributary of the River Mersey....
. In 1865 this was extended over the river to New Mills
New Mills Central railway station

New Mills Central railway station serves the town of New Mills in Derbyshire, England. It is on the Hope Valley Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield railway station....
, and later joined the Midland Railway
Midland Railway

The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's Derbyshire lines. By 1867 Midland trains were running from London to Piccadilly via this (considerably longer) route, providing competition to the LNWR. In 1875 the Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee

The Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1869 as a joint venture between the Midland Railway and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway....
, a joint venture between the MS&L and the Midland, opened a new more direct route from near Romiley to Piccadilly, and gave Reddish its second station, Reddish North
Reddish North railway station

Reddish North railway station is the busier of the two stations serving Reddish, in Stockport, England. The other station in the town is Reddish South railway station which has a very limited service....
.

Reddish Electric Depot
The Midland was given notice to leave Piccadilly in the same year that Reddish North opened, and construction of Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station

Manchester Central railway station is a disused railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central ....
 started. The Fallowfield Line
Fallowfield Loop railway line

The Fallowfield Loop railway line was a local railway route in Greater Manchester, England. Trains on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway line from Sheffield Victoria railway station and Guide Bridge railway station used the 'Loop' to access Manchester Central railway station....
 was opened in 1892 to allow access from the Woodhead Line to Manchester Central and Trafford Park
Trafford Park

Trafford Park is an area of the Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester City Centre, and north of Stretford....
, and passed through a corner of Reddish. Stations were built just outside Reddish at Hyde Road
Hyde Road railway station

Hyde Road was a railway station in Gorton, Manchester, England, on the Fallowfield Loop railway line. It opened in 1892 and closed in 1958 when local passenger services on the line stopped....
 and Levenshulme South
Levenshulme South railway station

Levenshulme South railway station was a railway station located in Levenshulme, Manchester. It was located on the Fallowfield Loop railway line which is now a cycle path....
. In 1936 the MS&L's successor, the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway

The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four British railway companies" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain....
, planned to electrify the Woodhead Line and the Fallowfield Line, primarily for shipping coal from Yorkshire
Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a Historic counties of England of northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Because of its great size, over time functions were increasingly undertaken by its subdivisions, which have been subject to History of local government in Yorkshire....
, but World War II interrupted progress. After the war, the railways were nationalised as British Rail
British Rail

British Railways , which later traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the Rail transport in Great Britain from the nationalisation of the Big Four British railway companies in 1948 until Privatisation of British Rail in stages from 1994 to 1997....
 (BR). The electrification plan was put in place as the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway
Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway

The Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway was an early Railway electrification in Great Britain scheme on British railways. The route featured long ascents on both sides of the Pennines with the long Woodhead Tunnel at its central summit close to the Woodhead pass....
, opening in 1954 using a 1500 V DC system. A 400 ft (120 m) depot was constructed at Reddish to maintain the Class 76
British Rail Class 76

The British Rail Class 76, also known as Class EM1, is a class of 1.5kV DC, Bo-Bo electric locomotive designed for use on the now-closed Woodhead Line in Northern England....
 and 77
British Rail Class 77

The British Rail Class 77, also known as Class EM2, is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Co-Co electric locomotive. They were built by Metropolitan Vickers in 1953?1954 for use over the Woodhead Line between Manchester and Sheffield....
 locomotives. However, electrification was not continued beyond the depot to Trafford Park. Shortly afterwards, BR adopted the 25 kV AC
25 kV AC

25 kV, 50 Hz AC is a type of railway electrification system. It is one of the most common voltages used for railway electrification systems in the world, especially on High-speed rail....
 system for electrification, with the effect that the Woodhead Line "passed very quickly from ultra-modern to obsolescent."

Local passenger services stopped using the Fallowfield Line in 1958 (though through trains continued until 1969). The Beeching Report of 1963 recommended that the Woodhead Line be retained and the Hope Valley line (serving Reddish North Station) closed; in 1966 BR controversially implemented the reverse.

The depot was used to house the prestigious Midland Pullman
Midland Pullman

The Midland Pullman was the name given to a former express passenger train service operating on British Railways the old Midland Main Line between London St Pancras and Manchester Central railway station via Leicester railway station and Millers Dale railway station....
 in the early 1960s and continued to service locomotives until it and the Woodhead Line were closed in 1981. Despite rumours that the depot would be used to service the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink

Manchester Metrolink is an urban light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of three lines which run between Central Manchester and the surrounding towns of Bury, Altrincham and Eccles, Greater Manchester....
, the depot fully closed in 1983, was quickly vandalised, and has been demolished. The Fallowfield line closed completely in 1988 and the track was taken up.

Education

Reddish's only secondary school
Secondary education

Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education is generally the final stage of compulsory education....
 is Reddish Vale Technology College
Reddish Vale Technology College

Reddish Vale Technology College is a school in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England.It is a Technology College and has been awarded the Artsmark Gold Award from the Arts Council of England....
. Sited on the edge of the green belt
Green Belt (UK)

In United Kingdom urban planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail....
, the school has its own farm and is characterised by OFSTED
Office for Standards in Education

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
 as " a good school". It teaches about 1400 pupils from the ages of 11 to 16, but does not have a sixth form
Sixth form

The sixth form , in the Education in England, Education in Wales and Education in Northern Ireland education systems, Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Malta is the final two years of secondary schooling when students are sixteen to eighteen years of age and normally prepare for...
.

As of 2007 Reddish has ten nursery and primary schools, including some church schools (Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 and Church of England
Church of England

The Church of England is the State religion Christianity Ecclesia in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches....
). It has been proposed to close three of these and build a new school. The site chosen was formerly a clay pit for a brickworks, and later a landfill site. Much of the landfill took place before modern controls, and there is local concern about the suitability of the site.

Community facilities


Of the 1907 facilities provided by Stockport, only the library is still open, though under threat of closure. The baths closed in 2005; there is a campaign to reopen them, but it does not have the backing of the council. The ground floor of the fire station is used as a community centre. The mortuary closed in the 1980s.

Religion

Reddish falls in the Diocese of Manchester
Anglican Diocese of Manchester

The Diocese of Manchester is a diocese of the Church of England in the Province of York. It was founded in 1847, having previously been part of the Diocese of Chester....
 for the Church of England
Church of England

The Church of England is the State religion Christianity Ecclesia in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches....
, and the Diocese of Salford
Diocese of Salford

The diocese was founded in 1850 as one of the first post-English Reformation Catholic dioceses. Since 1911 it has formed part of the Province of Liverpool....
 for the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
.

  • St Agnes, Gorton Road; (Church of England). 1908, brick, some good glass.
  • Bethel Christian Centre/Reddish Community Church/Bethel Apostolic Church, Sykes Street; (Apostolic Church
    Apostolic Church

    The Apostolic Church is a Pentecostalism Christian denomination which can trace its origins back to the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. Despite the relatively recent origin of the denomination, the church seeks to stand for Apostolic Age in its faith, practices, and government....
    ).
  • Christ Church, Lillian Grove; (Methodist
    Methodist Church of Great Britain

    The Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest John Wesley / Methodism body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain ....
    /United Reformed Church
    United Reformed Church

    The United Reformed Church is a Christian denomination in Great Britain. The URC is the result of a union between the Presbyterian Church of England and the Congregational Church in England and Wales in 1972 and subsequent unions with the Re-formed Association of Churches of Christ in 1981 and the Congregational Union o...
    ).
  • St Elisabeth, Lemington Road; (Anglo-Catholic - Church of England); 1883 Victorian Gothic
    Gothic Revival architecture

    The Gothic Revival is an Architectural style which began in the 1740s in England. Its popularity grew rapidly in the early nineteenth century, when increasingly serious and learned admirers of neo-Gothic styles sought to revive Middle Ages forms in contrast to the Neoclassical architecture styles which were then prevalent....
     building by Alfred Waterhouse
    Alfred Waterhouse

    Alfred Waterhouse was an England architect, particularly associated with the Victorian era Gothic revival. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the country....
    . Paid for by Houldsworth
  • Holy Family, Thornley Lane North; (Roman Catholic).
  • St Joseph, Gorton Road (Roman Catholic).
  • St Mary, Reddish Road; (Church of England). Reddish's first church, built 1862-4 at a cost of £2500 in the "decorated English style". The parish was carved from Heaton Norris
    Heaton Norris

    Heaton Norris is now a mainly residential area of Stockport, England bordering on Heaton Chapel,Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor. Formerly it was the name of the parish, that included Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor and was in Lancashire....
    , and is still known as Heaton Reddish.
  • Reddish Christian Fellowship, Broadstone Road; sited in an end-of-terrace house.
  • Stockport Seventh-day Adventist Church, Coronation Street; (Seventh-day Adventist Church
    Seventh-day Adventist Church

    The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christianity Religious denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance of Saturday, the original Days of the week of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath and Seventh-day Adventism....
    ); modern building.


Notable people

In 1935 Norman Foster
Norman Foster

Norman Foster or Norm Foster may refer to:* Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank , English architect and designer* Norman Foster , American film director...
 was born in Reddish and went onto study architecture at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a "red brick university" civic university located in Manchester, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration....
. Baron Foster is one of the leading architects in the world and is noted for his works in London which include the Millennium Bridge
Millennium Bridge

Several bridges are known as the Millennium Bridge:* in the United Kingdom:** Millennium Bridge in London** Lune Millennium Bridge, in Lancaster, England...
, City Hall
City hall

A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a city or town's Local government and usually houses the City council town council, its associated departments and their employees....
, 30 St Mary Axe
30 St Mary Axe

30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin and formerly the Swiss Re Building, is a skyscraper in London main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened on 28 April 2004....
 and the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium

The original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007....
.

Bibliography



External links